Ruckus over CBI raids, Arunachal leads to Rajya Sabha's adjournment

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday saw proceedings disrupted due to repeated adjournments for various periods and finally for the day as opposition members created a ruckus over CBI raids at the Delhi chief minister's office as well as convening of the Arunachal Pradesh assembly session by the governor.

After repeated adjournments in the pre and post-lunch sessions, when the house met at 3 p.m., Deputy Chairman P. J. Kurien tried in vain to convince protesting Congress members to raise their issues through specific notices and let the house function to pass bills of public importance.

At the same time, the treasury benches demanded from the chair that the house should not be adjourned as the government is ready to sit here till late night.

Protesting the behaviour of opposition members, union ministers Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Thaawarchand Gehlot, Prakash Jawadekar and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that government and the members want the house to function but the Congress members are not allowing it.

"There are lot of bills passed by Lok Sabha and are waiting for the nod of the Rajya Sabha. We want house to function. Ministers sitting here are ready to answer any question raised by the members," Irani said amid the sloganeering.

Kurien again requested the members not to shout slogans from near the presiding officer's podium, as he adjourned the house for the day, saying: "Behaviour of the protesting members is most unruly and undemocratic. With painful heart I am adjourning the house."

Soon after the house met for the day, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the issue of Arunachal Pradesh.

Citing the recommendations made by Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa to convene the assembly session for removing the speaker, he said: "Democracy is being murdered in Arunachal Pradesh. Governor is behaving like a dictator."

He also held the government responsible for the continuous stalemate in the house.

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury also accused the government, saying: "It's clear now. Non-BJP states are being targeted deliberately. Government's own actions outside leading parliament not to function."

Leader of the house Arun Jaitley said the proceedings of an assembly can not be discussed in this house. "It will set a wrong precedent."

Responding to the allegations, Jaitley sought to clarify that the CBI raid was not against Kejriwal, but against an official who was attached to his office, "and that too in a matter prior to his becoming chief minister".

After the two brief adjournments, O'Brien again raised the issue of the raids, and party members, shouting slogans against Narendra Modi government, gathered near the chairman's seat.

Congress meanwhile continued protesting the case of Arunachal Pradesh.

Chairman Hamid Ansari's repeated requests to the members not to disrupt question hour went in vain.

When the house met at 2 p.m. in the post lunch session, Janata Dal-United and Trinamool members again raised the issue of CBI raids at Kejriwal's office.